Fayemi Vs Ekiti Monarchs: It’s Abnormal For Alawe To Lead Ekiti Pelupelu Kings – Oba Adeyemi

The most prominent traditional rulers in Ekiti State, called the ‘Pelupelu Obas’, recently sued Governor Kayode Fayemi, challenging his appointment of the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, as Chairman of the state traditional council. One of the state’s Pelupelu monarchs, Alara of Aramoko, Oba Olu Adeyemi, tells ABIODUN NEJO the position of the most prominent kings in the state

What criteria do the Alademerindinlogun (most prominent kings, also called Pelupelu kings) want to be used for the selection of the traditional council chairman?

What criteria should be used again for the choice of the chairman of the traditional council in Ekiti State apart from the law, history and practice? From records and tradition, the chairman is selected from the group of Pelupelu Obas. If it pleases the governor to veto that and change it, that will be on the record. But from the records and what has been in practice since inception, the chairman should be from the Pelupelu Obas.

What is being a Pelupelu Oba all about?

Ekiti State has been known to have 16 Pelupelu Obas called the 16 crowned monarchs, Alademerindinlogun, but currently, 17 traditional rulers make up Pelupelu Obas. In those days, Ekiti had only 16 crowned monarchs who were regarded as Pelupelu. They were the only ones attending the Pelupelu meetings. I witnessed some of such meetings as a young man. So, once you don’t belong to it, there is no way you can be chosen to lead the group. If it now pleases the government of the day to do otherwise, then good luck (to it).

The Pelupelu kings have been against the appointment of Alawe as the chairman of the state traditional council but according to some reports, Alawe has been a member of the Pelupelu since 1947.

That is not correct. Alawe is not part of the Pelupelu. Alawe, alongside three others, had recently applied and that has not been approved. If it pleases anybody, whether politics or whatever anybody is doing – to put him there and want to make him chairman of the council, nobody is going to commit suicide because of that. He has never been a member of the Pelupelu. This is the first time anything like this will come up. It is strange, totally strange, to have Alawe or somebody that is not part of the Alademerindinlogun as the head of the traditional council.

But why are you really against his choice as chairman?

We have made it clear that the chairman must come from the Pelupelu Obas. Now that somebody outside the Alademerindinlogun is chosen, should we accept it? We belong to an institution where there are order and hierarchy. There is no way we can accept any deviation from the norm. We are opposed to the choice because the chairman of the council should emerge from the group of 17. Initially 16, but increased to 17 because the Olomuo has been added. Anything outside that is an aberration. We are the only ones that can produce the headship. You cannot bring an outsider to head that group. The appointment is unacceptable because it is an aberration. The tradition should be followed. Any deviation from the normal is an abnormality.

But now that members of the 16 or 17 Obas have vowed not to attend meetings chaired by the Alawe…

We are not contending for anything. This is unimaginable and unacceptable.

What is the position of the Alademerindinlogun on the matter?

It is left for the government to have a rethink. That is all. The government should do the right thing by appointing the leader of the group among the 17 qualified members of the council. All I have said is that there are only 17 crowned monarchs in the Pelupelu in Ekiti State. It is unimaginable having the Alademerindinlogun members sit under the leadership of someone who is not a member and take instructions from him as the chairman. Nobody will accept that. Even the governor cannot accept that should a situation throw up somebody from the state House of Assembly to give him instructions.

So, what is the way out of the present situation?

It is simple. It is for the government to have a rethink and do the right thing. The government should do it as it is being done to get the right result. The government should take steps to right the wrong and set in motion machinery for progress.

But the Alawe has appealed to all Obas to come together so that Ekiti can move forward…

What do you think he would have said in a situation like this? Would he now come out and tell the governor that what he did was wrong even though he knew it was wrong? The Alawe is one of the most intelligent members of the traditional council. He is a brilliant young man that stands and talks whenever there are arguments in the council and nobody can dismiss his positions, but after finding himself in a position of defence now, what do you expect him to do? It will be pretty difficult for him to come to tell the government to remove him. Can he appeal to the government to change its mind on his choice as chairman of the council? Human beings talk from the position of security. When your position is secure, you talk boldly and loudly. So, he cannot stand up and say the government’s decision was wrong and that he should be removed. That is not expected from even an insane person. Would he have called for the reversal of his appointment and on the government to do that which is considered right? That is the problem before us.

The Pelupelu Obas were absent at his inauguration recently…

We were not even aware of the inauguration. Somebody told us much later. If we did not support that a wrong person should be installed, then we would not be present there. What would have been our business there? Supposing something ugly happened and they ordered for the arrest of the Pelupelu Obas, what does one say in that kind of situation? It is called avoidance game. When there is trouble looming, you avoid it. The honest opinion of all Pelupelu Obas is that in ordinary circumstances, the leadership of the council should come from among the members of the Alademerindinlogun. Anything different from that is a deviation from the normal thing. It is an abnormality. So, we will not be part of any abnormality.

Some people are of the opinion that this is the time for kings in Ekiti to unite to tackle the problem of insecurity.

Fighting insecurity is another thing which would not be compromised. But it is irrelevant to talk about synergy in the face of injustice.

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